FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION OF NEURAL CIRCUITS IN THE MOUSE ACCESSORY OLFACTORY BULB

项目概要/摘要 本研究和培训计划的总体目标是更好地了解本组织， 鼠标辅助嗅觉系统（AOS）。AOS是一个紧凑的神经通路， 直接与控制所谓的“内在”社会和生殖行为的大脑区域沟通。通过 增加有关小鼠AOS感觉处理的知识，该项目将阐明 哺乳动物的嗅觉，并将提高我们对感觉和行为之间联系的理解。 研究人员朱利安米克斯博士将获得长达两年的高级博士后培训的设计 和平面照明显微镜和转基因小鼠的实施，以支持创新的 小鼠副嗅区抑制性中间神经元的活体钙离子成像研究 灯泡这次培训的两个赞助商被选中，博士蒂莫西·霍利和博士丹尼尔Kerschensteiner， 分别在光学设计和转基因小鼠生产领域拥有丰富的经验。 几个假设将在本奖项的指导和独立阶段进行测试。一个主 这一假说将感觉“感受野”与大脑中的轴突投射模式联系起来。测试其他几个 假设将确定特定的感觉处理的作用，为各种中间神经元的人口， 副嗅球验证这些假设将建立哺乳动物社会气味的原则 这将有助于我们理解抑制神经元为感觉神经元提供的功能。 电路.通过这项研究和指导培训计划，米克斯博士将产生关于AOS的有价值的新数据 感官处理，并将建立新的实验工具和方法，将形成一个基础， 作为一名独立的科学家。

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The overall goal of this research and training plan is to gain better understanding of the organization and function of the mouse accessory olfactory system (AOS). The AOS is a compact neural pathway that communicates directly with brain regions that govern so-called "intrinsic" social and reproductive behaviors. By increasing knowledge about sensory processing in the mouse AOS, this project will shed light on principles of mammalian olfaction, and will improve our understanding of links between sensation and behavior. The investigator, Dr. Julian Meeks, will gain up to two years of advanced postdoctoral training in the design and implementation of planar illumination microscopy and transgenic mice in support of an innovative approach using live neuronal calcium imaging to study inhibitory interneurons in the mouse accessory olfactory bulb. Two sponsors for this training were chosen, Dr. Timothy Holy and Dr. Daniel Kerschensteiner, that have strong experience in the fields of optical design and transgenic mouse production, respectively. Several hypotheses will be tested during the mentored and independent phases of this award. One main hypothesis links sensory "receptive fields" to axonal projection patterns in the brain. Testing several other hypotheses will identify specific sensory processing roles for the various interneuron populations in the accessory olfactory bulb. Testing these hypotheses will establish principles of mammalian social odor processing, and will help us to understand the functions that inhibitory neurons provide for sensory neural circuits. Through this research and mentored training plan, Dr. Meeks will produce valuable new data on AOS sensory processing, and will establish new experimental tools and approaches that will form a foundation for a career as an independent scientist.